It's Just Play
by Cryssy-miu
Summary: In a typical training session with Meta Knight, Kirby decides to change his training a little bit... R&R, non slash, just fatherly and child...ly affection.


It was unusually peaceful in Dreamland; a calm and quiet monster-less day, and one where the butterflies fluttered among two busy forms atop their favourite hill, and unfortunately distracting one of them...

"Kirby, pay attention!" Meta Knight snapped, beginning to lose his usually steady patience with the young star warrior. He watched in irritation as his infant apprentice babbled happily as he watched the butterflies float around his head. The elder star warrior sighed as he gave the child a hard tap on the head with his sword. Not hard enough to hurt him, just startle him.

Kirby squeaked a bit, roused out of his butterfly trance, his head bowed in shame of disappointing his beloved teacher. "Poyo.."

The older warrior sighed, his anger having fizzled and the patience returned. "Hold the hilt of your sword like this," he advised, positioning the blade in the youngster's hand in a better fighting position. "You have a better grip n-" He cried out in surprise as Kirby immediately swung at him with the sword the moment Meta Knight let go of his hand. "Ha, eager, aren't you?"

"Poyo!" Kirby attempted a fierce growl that came out as a new born puppy's little 'threatening' yip as he attempted to protect a toy from his siblings. "Poyooo!" and he charged, dealing his teacher a swift cut through the air, stopped immediately by the Galaxia, and he tumbled back from the force.

"Good strike," Meta Knight praised, "but you were better off trying to surprise me with a lower cut attack."

Not remotely having a clue of a word the swords master said, the infant only babbled further and toddled up to a tree, hungrily eyeing several shiny red orbs hanging from the branches atop. "Poy.."

"Next, we will go back over the defending techniques, you're very weak on those. I want to teach y-" He trailed off, seeing his teachings were falling on lost ears as the pink puff stared at the apples with drool going down his cheeks. "...after lunch," Meta Knight finished with a halfhearted smile. He watched the tot attempt to clamber up the tree to grab at the juicy treats, but only failed and slid back down to the base. Swiftly, he threw the Galaxia like an arrow towards a tree branch, causing about five apples to scatter – and to be immediately inhaled by the little pinky.

"...One of those were for me, you know."

The puff smiled sheepishly, and spat an apple into Meta Knight's hand, who grimaced in disgust and tossed it back, grabbing his own from the tree. "Take a break. Have a snack. We will continue your lessons afterwards." He wandered off to the opposite side of the hill, giving the baby time to himself.

Blue birds fluttered happily, and Meta Knight watched them; he could make out an older bird guiding a young one, showing him proper ways to fly. That was what he was trying to do with Kirby. Being the infant's guardian was much easier than being his teacher; Kirby wasn't interested in learning, he only wanted to play. Constantly climbing on trees, over rocks, over fences, and on _him!_The child had really warmed up to him as his teacher, as his guardian, as his...father, almost, (still sounded weird to him.) Stoic and having always been perceived cold, Meta Knight unceremoniously cared deeply for the innocent and rambunctious young puff, worried for his safety and his future. Oh, none did he worry more than for his _intelligence!_

"Poyo!" Speak of the devil; he was there on his head, hanging off his armor. "Poy-oy!" Giggle.

"What are you doing _now_, young one?" the elder warrior asked the pinky patiently; he grimaced a bit as the child rubbed up against his head like an over affectionate young kitten – pink kitten. "Finished eating already?" He smirked inwardly. "Though really, when do you ever get full?"

"Poyo!" Kirby babbled, rubbing his face against the older star warrior's stomach. He blinked at the way Meta Knight cringed backwards under the touch.

Twitching slightly, Meta Knight sucked in his breath, trying to inch away from the tickly feeling of the puff's face. "Kirby, no, go on and finish your snack. Then we will continue training."

"Poyo?" Confused, the young star warrior poked at his master's stomach; the only small part not covered with armour. He watched as the knight ducked back quickly. Kirby smirked in an unsettling way, deliberately trying to tickle now, and Meta Knight could tell.

Hopping back in an instant, the knight narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I don't think so!" he growled; the playful eyes betraying his tone of voice. He watched in amusement as his infant pupil crouched playfully, wiggling his tiny pink butt and little fingers. "Are you challenging me?"

"Poyo!" The child's bum wiggled more, indicating he was about to pounce.

The elder star warrior smirked, getting into position himself, and completely disregarding his sword for now. So, if that is the way Kirby cared to train, then so be it; at least he could teach him some techniques, while even having a bit of fun and bonding with his pupil. "Then let's go!" As soon as he uttered those words, with a blur of pink, Kirby attacked, and the two warriors tumbled back into the grass, grappling with each other.

Meta Knight grabbed the tiny puff, wrapping his cape around him to keep him immobile, while scribbling his fingers along the child's tummy. "If you wish to get to the path of victory, you must never leave any weak spots open!" he smirked.

Kirby squealed with high pitched childish laughter, trying to kick his tangled legs free. "Poyoooo-haha! Kn-kniiiiiiii!" he pleaded.

The knight smirked; "Kn-kni" was what Kirby had named him, unable to say his name. At first the older star warrior found the name way too perky and cute, but he grew into it; at least Kirby was trying to speak. "I don't think so. The enemy will show no mercy, and neither will I!" He tickled the child much harder; Kirby's screams escalating.

The child star warrior continued squealing and kicking and laughing, finally wriggling a hand out of his guardian's grip long enough to rapidly tickle the knight's side and under his arm.

"Hrmmph-!" Meta Knight grunted, which came out in a comically higher pitch than usual, and a smile twitched under his mask as he squirmed, refusing to let the infant go. "Very gooddd," he strained, laughter threatening to burst out. "I did not thhhhink you would get outt of that!"

Kirby grinned, wrestling out his other hand, and tickling with both little hands now; Meta Knight was weakening fast, his grip loosening. "Poyo!" Giving an adorable cackle, Kirby tickled with all his strength, alternating different available tickle spots every few seconds. And Meta Knight finally broke, laughing; unusual for him.

"V-very good!" he managed to get out between a couple laughs, tumbling back with the baby still attached to him and tickling.

"Poyo!" Kirby piped happily at the praise, whilst still not letting up his playful assault.

His teacher smirked, not ready to give up the fight, he kicked the child gently from behind, grabbing at the puff's arms. In this usual position, he'd normally push Kirby into the dirt or throw a punch or something, but attacks were a bit different today. He grinned, keeping the child's hands behind his back, and tickling with the other. He watched Kirby writhe and squirm and squeak out adorable giggles in amusement. It was certainly more pleasant than seeing the infant yelp in pain from any sword hits, and obviously he hated seeing Kirby unhappy, even though the training was for his own good.

"Kn-Kniiiii!" the infant squealed through giggles, kicking against the ground. "Poyooooooo-hehehe! Pooooooooy!"

Meta Knight chuckled, watching the child futilely squirm in his grip. "Cannot get free? Surely you are stronger than this!" At his words, he felt Kirby shift a lot more under his hand, trying to push himself up. He watched the puff's hands make disorient attempts to tickle back, which Meta Knight completely dodged.

The infant, still squealing and screeching, slid out from under the old knight's hand while he was distracted by those same butterflies from earlier. Ha, even the bugs worked to his advantage.

"What the?" Meta Knight slowly turned, expecting to see the baby crouched again, ready to attack, but all he saw was a few bees and flowers. He turned the other way, to his side, but there again was nothing but the hill. A branch cracked, and Meta Knight looked up into the tree, stunned when he saw Kirby perched at the end of a tall branch, ready to deliver his death pounce. "H-how did you get up there?" he whispered in awe, fully aware that the child had not mastered his climbing techniques yet.

Kirby said nothing and only leaped, tackling his master back into the flowers they just wrestled in. The bees scattered.

"How did you do that?" Meta Knight asked, looking at the little puff. "You have not yet mastered your climb-" He was cut off, thoughts consumed by the scribbling of pink fingers against his skin. "Mmmph-!" He rolled quickly out of the baby's attack range before he started laughing again. (He didn't like to do that much.) Holding the infant away from him, he suddenly realized it; this was the best way Kirby learned: if he made the training sessions seem like playing. Well, he really needed to find a different way to play, he didn't want to do this every day! His thresh hold for pain was extremely high. Thresh hold for tickling...not so much. Chuckling, he held the playful pink tot away from him, setting him in the grass. "I think that is enough...training for a day. You're beginning to even tire _me_ out!" He grinned, sighting a lone apple that had fallen from the tree when Kirby jumped. "Seems there is still another apple."

The star warrior bounded after the fruit, joyfully scooping it into his mouth.

Meta Knight stood, brushing himself off and breathing out in relief, very thankful no one saw that; he'd never be able to live it down. "You are strong, young one," he beamed with quiet pride, watching his young beloved pupil scarf down apples. "This may have been only play, but it was training in a sense, and I got to see another of your strengths. You grow stronger every day, even today in our...interesting training session." He chuckled a bit.

Of course, not even listening as usual, the infant only tilted his pink head and babbled, looking up at his teacher. "Poyo?"

The elder star warrior only sighed, face palming a bit and walking up to the small star warrior, leading him back to town. "I'd say that is enough for today. What do you say we get a _real_ meal at Kawasaki's?"

"Poyo!" Of course he always had the child's undivided attention when it came to food. Kirby excitedly tucked himself under his guardian's cape, being as clingy as usual.

Meta Knight smiled lightly down at the innocent pink puff against him, always finding himself uncannily melting as usual when the child looked at him. "I bet you are hungry, despite...just eating."

The tot giggled delightfully as Meta Knight dragged the tip of his cape over his forehead, leading him further into the town.

"I think Chef Kawasaki has one of his tofu specials today." He blinked, watching as the infant only babbled in response, chasing a passing butterfly.

"Poyo!" Kirby chirped, sitting on the side walk and holding the bug.

Sigh. "Now really, you and those butterflies..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_ (Kirby decides to change training a bit one day... I always imagine it's the stoic "tough" guys that are always the most ticklish. And the ones that would hate it the most. XD_

_Not my best, but I found it cute. It just popped into my head and wouldn't go away. I just love these two..._

_Last fanfiction for a bit, I gotta do my dues._

_**EDIT: I was informed that it had some errors in it; hey, it was three when I uploaded this, so I fixed really noticeable ones. If anyone sees anymore, don't be hesitant to tell me. I don't bite, and I take critique well.**)_


End file.
